


The Quarantined

by Raptorik



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, F/M, M/M, Vampires, i will science away the vampires, kinda post-modern magik if you will
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 09:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10659816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raptorik/pseuds/Raptorik
Summary: Maiami City is celebrating its tenth year of quarantine after Leo Akaba unleashed a virulent plague upon its citizens. Barricaded within the city limits, people are slowly losing hope of ever reintegrating with outside society. The night streets crawl with bloodthirsty vampires searching for any source of food they can get their hands on, and humans are running out of time as the population of infected continues to grow.After being turned, Reiji Akaba has posed as a human, devoting his life to finding a way for humans and vampires to coexist. Shun Kurosaki, filled with rage and sorrow over the loss of his sister, uncovers Reiji's secret – and sets out to put an end to his charade. However, with disaster looming on the horizon, the two must put aside their differences and defend against the newest threats that have emerged within the confines of their city before all of its citizens, human or vampire, meet their end.





	1. The Hunter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clockwork_spider](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockwork_spider/gifts).



> This is a little different from the one-shots I've grown accustomed to writing, so please bear with me if there are issues with pacing or transitions! As noted, this is a gift for my buddy clockwork_spider, who has been there when I needed a hand with writing or pretty much anything else! I hope you enjoy, friend! 
> 
> Updates will likely be sporadic, but I'll do my best to have at least one new chapter every 2-3 weeks!

_"In today's report, we'll cover the impact that Leo Akaba's inhumane research has had on the city of Maiami over the last decade, starting with the outbreak of the creatures that stalk its streets at night. Some officials continue to argue that the ten-year quarantine has effectively destroyed an entire population, while others remain dedicated to protecting the rest of the nation, stating that Maiami's residents will be free once a cure is found. We'll now meet with our team of journalists who've taken up residence at the barricade to uncover more of the truth."_

Himika Akaba nearly toppled the breakfast table over in her haste to grab the television remote. After fumbling with the slippery plastic device for several moments, she managed to mute the volume and then returned to her seat. Without missing a beat, she neatly unfolded her napkin on her lap once again, resuming conversation as if nothing had happened at all.

"As I was saying," she continued, "Reira has been showing a lot of promise with his developing problem-solving skills. I believe he's finally coming out of his fever."

Reiji hummed thoughtfully, but said nothing to carry on the conversation. Instead, he busied himself with finishing off the rest of his orange juice, trying his damnedest to avoid the reflections the television was casting off of every other surface in the room. Everywhere he dared to look, his father's eyes stared back at him – somber and disquieting, just like his memories of the man. He closed his eyes as he drank, hoping that the broadcast would change by the time his glass was empty.

"Reiji... Are you all right?"

Reiji placed his glass back on the table, perhaps a bit too forcefully, before opening his eyes to meet his mother's gaze. "I'm as fine as any other day," he lied. "Tell me more about Reira."

"You look pale."

"I'm always pale, Mother."

"More than usual," Himika argued back, worry evident by the crease of her brow.

Reiji paused, distracted by her appearance. He hadn't noticed much before, but now he couldn't help but wonder if she'd had those wrinkles for long. There was no doubt that he was losing touch with the passing of time as of late, but it had only been days since he'd first noticed the streaks of silver creeping up from the nape of her neck. How long would it be before their hair was the same color – before he lost his mother to the cruelties of human aging?

He only realized that his hands were shaking when he snapped back to reality with his mother's palm pressed against his forehead.

"You're burning up," she whispered, though her skin felt warm against his face, as it always did. "You should be cold. Otherwise, the fever..."

"I'm fine," he repeated.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"We just had breakfast, Mother."

Himika drew her hand away from his face, looking as if she would break down into tears at any moment despite the motherly look of reprehension etched into her features.

He could only take so much. "Two weeks," he sighed, diverting his gaze back down to his plate so that he wouldn't have to see that look in her eyes. "It's been two weeks."

"Oh, no."

"I'm working on a solution," he assured her. "The security guards at the prison have upheld their end of the agreement for a while, but the supply just isn't clean anymore, except for the inmates on death row. They're few and far between nowadays, though, so there's a limit to how much I can take from them without it becoming public knowledge."

"What about the new hospital?"

"Suspicious of my motives, and completely unwilling to work with us. They tried giving me blood they'd drained from a corpse last time I bothered."

"Right. We don't need to risk that again."

"I still remember the taste," Reiji murmured, if only to stall her a bit. "I'd rather not relive that experience, or the two months in bed afterward."

"Have you considered talking to the police again?"

Of course she wouldn't back down. "They agreed to let me harvest a pint from any violent offender," he recited, "but most criminals in the city have incredibly tainted blood."

"Have you tried recently?"

"Speedball isn't pleasant, nor are the withdrawals," Reiji answered, dryly. "I'd rather just catch pigeons again."

"But animal blood only stems the cravings. It doesn't provide nourishment!"

"I know that!"

Himika looked as if he'd slapped her. "Oh... of course you do, dear. I'm sorry, it's just..."

Reiji sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "No, no. I'm sorry, Mother," he said, his tone much quieter than before. "You're simply worried about me. I understand. Promise me, though, that you won't let your anxieties get the best of you. I'll find a solution soon, I swear."

"Reiji... I'm so sorry that I can't do more for you in this situation."

"I know that." Trying his best to smile despite the pain lacing through his skull, Reiji took her hand. "Please, don't worry yourself. I have other medical contacts, still, and there's the blood bank on the east side that should have a decent amount of expired samples within the next month. I can go there as soon as they call me."

His words didn't seem to sink in at all. "I don't want to lose you," Himika whispered.

Some days, this one in particular, Reiji thought he should be the one saying that to her. However, a glance upward told him the sun was on the horizon, and he knew he'd fallen prey to too many human emotions for one night. The more stress he underwent, the more energy he would use up – and the more blood he would need to ingest to heal his deteriorating body as his conscience and his inhuman urges struggled for control.

Exhausted, he forced himself to his feet and embraced the woman before him. "You won't lose me," he promised. "Just make sure Reira is healthy, first and foremost, and I'll take care of the rest."

Reiji didn't look back at his mother as he trudged from the kitchen to the hall, where there were no windows, nor did he spare the television another glance. There would be time later for hating Leo Akaba and all the pain he had caused, but for now, he needed to sleep.

 

* * *

 

The air was always still at sunrise.

Shun Kurosaki glanced across the alley at his partner, who looked every bit as determined as he felt, himself. Silently, they waited for any signs of life in the fading darkness, but fate didn't seem to favor them that morning. After another agonizingly long stakeout, they were left fruitless yet again.

"Damn it," Yuto grumbled, dropping his gun to his side. "I thought for sure there were a few of 'em living here. They should have come back by now."

"They must've been warned by others of their kind." Shun adjusted the sling over his shoulder, hiding his gun beneath his overcoat. "I wish those bastards couldn't use cell phones."

"Total waste of a night."

"Yeah."

Shun stretched his arms above his head as the sun's rays finally spilled over the mountains to the east, painting the city orange. Truth be told, he was always thankful for an uneventful night; however, there was also a part of him that wanted nothing more than to unload a full round of silver right into a vampire's chest every so often, and it had been a few weeks since he'd had the chance to do that. He'd secretly been hoping their newest lead wouldn't end like this – poetic justice would have been nice, since today would have been Ruri's twentieth birthday. Then again, when did things ever go according to plan?

"Wanna go get super drunk and forget about everything?" Yuto asked.

Shun knew he was joking, of course; Yuto didn't drink, as much as he probably needed to. "Absolutely," he answered, anyway.

He didn't drink, either.

Side by side, they began their long trek home, watching as the city woke up around them. Dozens of businesses were still closed this close to sunrise, since nobody really traveled during the dark hours of the night. There were a select few places that opened with the rising sun, though, mostly bakeries that focused on traditional overnight production, or convenience stores with silver-plated bars over every window and door. The bakeries were Shun's personal favorite, simply because they made the otherwise melancholy mornings smell like doughnuts – a stark contrast to the metallic odor of blood that seemed to hover over the streets the moment the sun fell beyond the horizon. He was thankful that their apartment was right next door to one of the best patisseries in the area; as such, the closer they got to home, the sweeter the air smelled, and the less terrible the night seemed.

Most days, they would have stopped to grab breakfast at the little shop, but neither had much of an appetite. They instead headed straight home, a companionable silence hanging in the air between them.

After locking up behind themselves, they each collapsed onto their respective favorite couch, too tired and stiff from spending the night on lookout to do much of anything else. The calendar on the wall, otherwise full of chicken-scratch handwriting, had nothing written on the current date – no work schedule for either of them, only a long, quiet day to reminisce.

Shun could remember times when he'd come back to the apartment to find his dear little sister and Yuto sitting and laughing together. He would always make dinner for them after chiding Ruri into finishing her coursework; Yuto would usually help clean up if he hadn't already spent the afternoon doing the same at his old home. Despite the hell beyond its walls, the place had been a great home to them for years, now.

Ruri had been gone for months, though, and there was no filling the hole she'd left behind.

Shun stole a quick glance over at his friend, confirming his suspicions. Yuto's left arm was dangling off the couch behind him as he started to snore, and there on his finger was the same ring he'd been wearing since the day he'd proposed to Ruri, because he was the same hopeless sap he'd always been. He knew better than to be surprised; after all, Yuto still wore his brother's pendant, and Yuya had been dead for five years as of last month.

Trying to shake the memories from his head, Shun took a deep breath and closed his eyes, hoping he'd fall asleep half as easily as his friend had.

 

* * *

 

Watching the news was Shun's surefire way to either fall asleep or learn choice information about places humans should avoid – which would steer Yuto and him in the right direction on their next night out. With his goals set in mind, he turned on the old television set on his dresser and flopped onto his unmade bed, nestling beneath his comforter as he waited for a commercial break to end.

_"Maiami has astounded the rest of the modern world by pushing through these trying times,_ " the reporter's voice rang out once the advertisements were over.  _"Despite the fact that its citizens have been on lockdown for more than a decade, it's plain to see that this hasn't broken the people's spirit. While many larger corporations cut off financial support for branches within Maiami's borders, other local businesses have thrived, proving that its people will survive._

_"One such business is Leo Corporation. Its main headquarters is located within the quarantine zone, but it has flourished in the time since its former CEO, the notorious Leo Akaba, stepped down to work for overseas government agencies. Though her husband was ultimately responsible for creating the virus that destroyed the city, Himika Akaba has devoted herself and her company's resources to finding a way to reverse the effects of the plague; as such, Leo Corporation currently employs many of those who lost their jobs when other major corporations severed their ties with the city."_

Shun groaned into his pillow. Of course there wouldn't be anything useful airing that week, with it being the ten-year anniversary of the viral outbreak that brought the city to ruin.

He'd been thirteen years old during the initial chaos. He and Ruri had lost their family and their home two years later, so he had pulled himself together and found employment wherever he could. After all, there were no safe orphanages when most government funding fell through, and it was rather hard for strangers to be charitable when a good third of the children in the city had turned into bloodthirsty monsters.

Most recently, he'd found a job working the evening shift at a convenience store just down the street. His duty was to close up shop as soon as dusk fell and get the hell out of dodge, which worked out nicely because nobody else wanted to risk their necks at sundown. That meant the pay was a lot higher than anything else entry-level, which in turn meant that he had been able to provide for Ruri while she focused on school. Online classes were still available to prospective university students who were trapped in the quarantine zone, and she'd had such a bright future lined up. Those plans, however, had all fallen to ruin when Shun had returned home one night after work to find the hallway outside their little apartment covered in blood – most likely hers, since vampire blood was as black as tar. Ruri's keys had still been hanging from the doorknob.

Almost two years later, her body still hadn't been found. Shun knew better than to hope anymore.

After that horrific night, Yuto had officially moved in, taking Ruri's bedroom. However, most of the time, he wound up sleeping on one of the couches in the den; Shun didn't blame him. They hadn't been able to pack away any of Ruri's belongings without falling apart, so that bedroom was nothing but a hoard of painful memories for both of them.

Yuto never seemed to mind the lack of privacy offered by the couch, but that was probably because he'd grown up with three brothers and had shared a room with them his entire life. In fact, with both parents gone, and only one of his siblings remaining, he probably felt most comfortable with someone there in the room with him. Thinking on it almost made Shun feel guilty for having left his friend in the den when he'd retired to his bedroom, unable to sleep. Then again, Yuto needed his rest as much as he did, and neither of them were going to get much of it if he'd kept tossing and turning five feet away.

_"Recently, we haven't seen much of the heir to the Akaba fortune, but Ms. Akaba has informed us that he's staying very busy with his private projects."_

The reporter's voice caught Shun's attention just as he finally started dozing off. He huffed and rolled over, thoroughly annoyed and prepared to shut the damn television off, but something about the image on the screen caught his attention.

_"Reiji Akaba has made quite a name for himself recently. He's apparently the source of Leo Corporation's determination to find a cure for the virus, and has been working closely with remaining law enforcement officials and hospitals to ensure his company has a sustainable supply of research materials. He has also channeled most of the company's profits back into the community, ensuring that care will still be provided to those in need during these trying times."_

"Bullshit!" Shun yelled at the reporter, who obviously did not respond to his outburst.

The broadcast cut to a video dated from several months before. In the video, Reiji Akaba stood with a different journalist at the edge of the city, right in front of an enormous military blockade. Shun sat up straight, listening intently as the audio switched to the track from the past video. He had to be certain – if his eyes weren't deceiving him, this was too important to let go.

_"I fully intend to find a way to stop this virus in its tracks."_

Reiji's voice was powerful and even. His words were delivered with a certainty that would have felt comforting, if Shun hadn't noticed something very peculiar about the speaker. He watched, entranced, until the very final moments and –

There. For only a split second, Reiji had opened his mouth to speak at just the right angle.

Shun bolted back into the living room and shook Yuto awake as fast as he could.

"What's going on?" Yuto moaned, his voice heavy with sleep. "'M I late for work?"

"Reiji Akaba is a goddamn vampire!"

If looks could kill, Shun would have been six feet under and buried already. "You're an awful human being  _and_ a conspiracy theorist," Yuto declared. "Lemme sleep."

"Seriously!" Shun insisted, grabbing his friend by the arm. He pulled Yuto to his feet effortlessly, despite Yuto's very clear unwillingness to participate in the standing up ordeal. "I was watching the news, and you remember that interview he did with those journalists from Osaka? I didn't realize it before, but that entire thing was a setup. You can see floodlights in one of the shots."

Yuto tried to fight his way out of Shun's grip, but to no avail; his arms were still heavy from his slumber. "You're crazy," he whined. "Let me go!"

"He did that interview before sunrise!" Shun continued. "The reason he hasn't been participating in charity events with his mother is because he  _can't!_ He even has fangs – I saw something while he was talking! This is serious! Don't you understand what it means?"

Yuto tilted his head back and let out a groan that sounded rather like a wild animal out for blood.

"The reason there's no cure yet is because the Akabas don't  _want_ a cure! The reason there are no mass-produced weapons for humans to defend themselves? Because it would put  _him_ in danger! They're ruling this city by pretending to care about fixing this mess, but they're only in it to protect their fortune! He's  _one of them,_ Yuto!"

"A vampire whose company funds more hospitals and clinics than any legitimate charity. Right." Yuto closed his eyes, apparently determined to sleep where he stood. "There's so much media pressure on that family all the time. Somebody would have figured it out by now if he were one. Besides, I think someone from Leo Corp would have noticed if their boss was, I dunno, eating their coworkers?"

"Fine. Don't believe me!"

"Shun, don't –"

True to their history, whatever it was that Yuto was going to warn against, Shun did anyway.

 

* * *

 

"Sir, are you all right?"

Reiji steadied himself against the wall, offering a weak smile to his bodyguard. "I'll be fine in due time, Nakajima," he answered. "That's why I'm going with you. The sooner I resolve this, the better. There is no sense in waiting for you to drive all the way back."

"Of course."

Reiji didn't have to delve into the details of his impatience, and for that, he was thankful. The only reason Nakajima would ever question his motives was on formality or, like now, on a basis of friendly concern – considering he'd been Reiji's protector for almost twenty years, now, he had about as much fear of vampires as he did of normal humans. There was no way he was trying to back out of his duty; that was why Reiji appreciated him so much.

After gazing at Reiji for a long moment, likely weighing his words against his physical condition, Nakajima continued his report. "I've spoken with our contact already, and the shipment will be ready by the time we arrive. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, they weren't able to arrange a large collection for the company stores, but, as I'm sure you know, those should be fine until next month as long as we ration responsibly."

After taking a moment to gather his strength, Reiji pushed his weight back onto his feet, and they continued their slow walk through the dimly-lit parking garage. Located only two blocks away from the Leo Corporation tower, the garage was the perfect place for hiding company cars for more discreet outings – exactly what they needed tonight. After sundown, the enormous building was a safe haven, devoid of any eavesdroppers who might otherwise discover the unsavory truth about their errands. The silence meant safety, and it also gave Reiji the perfect opportunity to mull over his companion's words.

Undoubtedly, Nakajima knew he'd been starving himself to ensure that plenty of blood would remain in the hidden bank at the company's headquarters. He couldn't justify taking any unless absolutely necessary; that blood was responsible for protecting Maiami's human population, as it kept many freshly-turned victims from having to hunt for human blood.

Dozens of those victims made up a solid ten percent of Leo Corporation's current employee roster. Reiji simply could not bring himself to put any of them closer to the danger of starvation, not when his father had been the one to cause this blight in the first place. He had vowed to keep his charges safe, to provide them with a stable life despite the disease that had been forced upon them, and he intended to carry out that duty despite his own affliction.

With that goal in mind, at least once each week, Nakajima would arrange a meeting with one of their contacts out in the city. Their mission was to bring back enough blood to appease their employees for at least another week. However, tonight it seemed they would only be able to secure a small shipment – just enough to replenish Reiji's personal stores and get him fit to work again.

At least it would accomplish that much, so it wasn't a total failure.

After none-too-gracefully depositing himself into the back seat of a modest sedan, Reiji closed his eyes. "Wake me when we're ten minutes away," he instructed.

"Of course, sir."

Nakajima may have been a trained professional, but he couldn't always hide that concerned tone in his voice. Reiji supposed he couldn't blame him this time; it had been more than two years since he slept at night.

 

* * *

 

"Sir, we're approaching the rendezvous point."

Nakajima's voice, though quiet, stirred Reiji from his slumber immediately.

Finding himself in a state unfit for conversation, Reiji replied with a muffled groan. He straightened his posture, blinking rapidly to adjust his vision as Nakajima pulled off of the brightly-lit freeway and into the darker side streets. There were no people out here, he noted, though it was none too surprising, considering the hour. Sometimes, there would be other cars on the highway – usually vigilantes, or otherwise heavily-armed humans who had no reason to fear the darkness of the night. Tonight, however, they were utterly alone.

As soon as his head was clear enough, Reiji spoke. "Something isn't right here," he observed, peering up at the surrounding buildings.

"How do you mean, sir?"

"This is a residential area, but not a single apartment looks occupied from out here. There aren't any lights." Their car, without its headlights on, blended perfectly into the surroundings. He doubted any of the area's residents were even aware of their presence.

"That's becoming commonplace again, despite the information we've been leaking," Nakajima reported, as if completely unfazed by their surroundings. "Some areas of the city are overrun by the infected at night, or so it's said. The authorities have issued several notices for people to cut their lights, especially in neighborhoods with a good number of families, in order to keep the children safe."

Reiji let the news sink in. He had known, ever since taking an active role in Leo Corporation's management, that he was likely fighting a losing battle. Keeping the infected from becoming voracious monsters took more resources than they could procure. However, there had been a definitive decline in the number of reported incidents since he'd stepped in – so why, and how, were light bans coming back, especially now, at the height of his success?

It took more than one or two vampires to break into a locked apartment. Despite their resilience and quick regenerative abilities, they weren't _that_ much stronger than average humans. That misconception was due entirely to their heightened senses and, consequently, their ability to dodge most of the bullets that were flying their way. Either people here were being terrorized by an unusually high concentration of the infected, or, as he'd feared, the government was taking a stance opposite to his own, spreading fear instead of tackling the problem at its roots.

Maiami would never be able to reintegrate into the outside world if people weren't properly educated on how to contain and provide for the infected. However, all digital correspondence from within the city was heavily monitored and, most usually, censored if it so much as suggested an alternate method for containing the virus within the city limits. That meant that every bit of his research would never see the light of day – not until the human population of Maiami had been wiped out, and the government could sweep in to eradicate the infected and claim whatever remained for itself.

The government didn't want the problem to go away. What had happened in Maiami was nothing but a sensation to those in power, a way to keep the outside population in fear. More importantly, if the infected were cured, there would be no quarantine – and no way for officials to seize Maiami's meager exports for their own use.

Essentially, curing Maiami would slash profits for the wealthiest politicians in the country. That was the only reason the city hadn't been nuked off the face of the planet during the initial outbreak of the virus.

Reiji had been aware of that for some time, but he hadn't realized that his competition had started working within the city limits. It left a bad taste in his mouth and an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, both of which grew stronger as they passed more and more darkened buildings.

"This city doesn't have much time left," he murmured, mostly to himself.

"But at least it has you."

Reiji tried not to let Nakajima's words make him feel any worse. Thankfully, he found a distraction in a single flashing light in the distance – a very small, but very noticeable beacon in the otherwise empty streets.

"That's our guy," Nakajima announced. "Would you like me to handle this?"

"No. I'll join you."

The source of the light turned out to be nothing but a flashlight in the hands of a very skittish medical aide. The man was locked in the front seat of an unmarked white van when they arrived, and, when Nakajima finally convinced him that it was perfectly safe to step out of the vehicle, they could see that he was sweating quite a bit. Reiji had to actively keep himself from retching at the smell, even from several meters away.

The transaction took less than a minute, but it felt more like an hour. The moment Nakajima opened the cooler the aide passed him, confirming the presence of the product, a searing hunger pang like none other tore through Reiji's abdomen. He turned to steady himself against the cool metal of the company car, but it was too late; without much resistance, the meager contents of his stomach made their way up and out.

"Is he all right?" he heard the aide ask, in what he supposed was intended to be a quiet voice.

"Stomach flu," Nakajima stage whispered back, knowing full well that Reiji could hear him. "But he's the company president – doesn't want to take a minute off, even if it's just getting more research supplies. Kid's gonna work himself to death."

"Sounds like my boss," the aide laughed. "Poor guy. Anyway, thanks for the cash. This will really help the residents here – at least, the ones who aren't on their death bed. It's hard to find funding nowadays, so thank you, really."

"You have my contact number. Any time you can provide samples like this, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We're always looking for more donors, and we're happy for an opportunity to help."

"Will do."

Nakajima returned to the car, toting the cooler as if it were full of any mundane food or drink and not two dozen pouches of blood. Reiji waited until the aide and his van had vanished around a distant corner before taking the cooler from his assistant's hands, hardly able to grasp the handle with how violently his hands were shaking.

"I understand that you prefer to do this in complete privacy," Nakajima said, "but given your condition and the fact that I've known you since you were learning to walk, I think I have the right to suggest –"

"Don't," Reiji interrupted. "I... I'll let you know when I'm done."

Nakajima nodded and, without another word, opened the back passenger door for him. Taking care not to step in his mess, Reiji crawled into the haven of tinted windows, hardly even waiting for the door to close before he tore into the first pouch.

The relief he felt was nearly instantaneous. Even though it was cold and most certainly not fresh, the blood was what he needed. A warm sensation slowly spread through his body, starting from his stomach – which no longer churned in rebellion – and then through his limbs, slowly easing away the pain and lingering exhaustion that had seemed present in every muscle. As the heaviness of his body faded away, so did the dull pounding in his head. From between his eyes all the way to the base of his neck, the warmth crawled, dispelling the muddled thoughts and doubts and every physical pain that had lingered for the last two weeks.

After a second pouch, he sank back into the cushioned leather of the car seat, his body awash with an almost electric sensation – not dissimilar to the fuzzy comfort of alcohol, but without the accompanying lethargy. He hated it, hated the very thought of consuming the precious blood of his fellow humans, especially with Nakajima standing just a few feet away, but the immense relief was enough to distract him from the usual guilt that came with every feeding. He felt _good_ for the first time in months, unlike all the times he'd had to settle for tainted samples, unlike _anything_ he had obtained in the last two years.

"Nakajima," he called after a few long, blissful moments of being lost within himself.

The door beside him opened. "Yes, Mr. Akaba?"

"Mark him down as a permanent contact. The samples are clean."

Nakajima looked just as relieved as Reiji felt. "I'm glad to hear that, sir. Shall we head back? I'm sure your mother is beside herself right about now."

"You're likely correct." Despite himself, Reiji nodded, offering Nakajima a small smile. "Thank you, once again. I couldn't ask for a more capable assistant."

"You flatter me, sir."

"No, that's –"

Whatever words Reiji could have spoken died before they could leave his mouth. At the sudden blur behind Nakajima's back, he hardly had time to react. Wordlessly, he shoved himself forward, knocking his companion to the ground as a gunshot rang out through the silent night.

His reaction time was still off, he noted, when Nakajima let out a hiss of pain, clutching his arm. He'd been hit – just barely, but enough that the sleeve of his suit had been ripped open.

The nausea from before threatened to take hold, this time for an entirely different reason. Had Nakajima not convinced him to consume the blood samples just moments before, the smell of his blood would have been his undoing.

"Get in!" Reiji ordered, pulling himself the rest of the way out of the car. Several more bullets hit the vehicle as he helped Nakajima into the back seat, each one just barely off its mark. Without any hesitation, he slammed the door and rushed to the opposite side, where he took the driver's seat and wasted no time in turning the key.

Whoever was shooting at them was likely not shooting to kill, or Nakajima would have been attacked long before he'd opened the door. That meant that their assailant wasn't likely a normal civilian vigilante – it was someone who knew who he was, someone who knew that Leo Corporation wasn't purchasing blood samples for normal research into a cure. This was most certainly someone who wanted him alive, someone who would destroy every remaining bit of his family's dignity by dragging them through hell along with him.

The thought of his mother going through another hardship merely steeled his resolve. Reiji put the car in drive and gunned it for the end of the alley where they'd met their contact, knowing full well that he would be pursued. Sure enough, a single headlight came to life the moment he pulled out into the street. That did surprise him a bit; a sole pursuer on a motorbike meant that it wasn't a government agency that had found him out.

That was, in itself, a huge relief. Furthermore, once out in the open, he and Nakajima would have an advantage; their pursuer wouldn't have anywhere to hide.

Nakajima, after sitting up, glanced out the back window. "Do you think he can shoot and steer that thing at the same time?" he asked.

"Maybe he could on a straight path," Reiji answered, following Nakajima's gaze through the rearview mirror. "I don't want to cause a scene around all these buildings, though. If he crashes, we're in trouble."

"Oh?"

"He obviously knows who I am. He probably has information about me on his person, either written down or in messages on his personal devices," he explained. "That means he did his research. His browsing history or something he left behind might tip off anyone who comes in to investigate, and then we'd have even more of a problem on our hands."

"That makes sense," Nakajima agreed. "But are you just going to let him have the opportunity to shoot?"

"What side of town are we on?"

"The north, sir."

"I've got an idea, then."

Two bullets hit the back of the car, earning a loud noise of distress from Nakajima, who ducked back down behind the seat.

Keeping his attention divided between the road and their attacker, Reiji turned at the next intersection. Cursing himself for sleeping during the ride, he scanned the road signs for some indication of where they were and, after making sure the motorcyclist was still following, took the nearest on-ramp for the freeway.

"I think I'm going to lure him out past the woods," he announced. "The government roadblock on this side of town is a good sixteen kilometers out of the city proper, which means we can get far enough out of town that he won't have anywhere to hide, while keeping us far away from catching the attention of the military currently deployed at the roadblock."

"What will you do once we're far enough out?"

"I don't want to kill him, especially if we can't confirm he's working alone. We should try to capture him alive to ascertain the extent of the damage, and to make sure he didn't leave a trail of research."

"Forgive me for my prudence, sir, but if he's singling you out, don't you think he's armed with the means to kill you? Wouldn't it be better to call for backup?"

"You are the only one outside of my family that knows I'm infected," Reiji reminded him. "If this person lets anyone else know the truth, the entire system will be at risk. Hundreds of innocent lives – perhaps even thousands, really – will be at risk. I'd rather deal with the issue personally, if you don't mind."

"I suppose this is for the best," Nakajima agreed, solemnly.

Reiji hummed a response, scanning the overhead signs for any path to the outskirts of the city.

Their pursuer relentlessly followed.

 

 

 


	2. A Confrontation

Shun silently cursed pretty much anything he could think of.

Yuto should have come with him. Yuto should have _believed_ him, actually, and _then_ he should have come with him. Why did his best friend have to be such a passive wienie sometimes?

In the moment, he refused to admit that Yuto's caution had bailed them out of many rough situations, and instead focused on his steering, dodging the ever-growing potholes that dotted the freeway. He watched the car in front of him just as intently as the road, waiting for any sign that it would change its course.

He also hated the fact that he'd grabbed Yuto's bag instead of his own before leaving the apartment. Normally, they would have gone out together, so swapping gear along the way was no big deal. However, when it came to their firearms, they each had their own pieces – and the sight on Yuto's handgun was _not_ properly calibrated. Yuto never missed, of course, but he had never told Shun to aim to the left, either. If he had, Reiji Akaba's bodyguard would have been dead already, a silver bullet lodged neatly in his heart, and Reiji would be dead as well, _and_ he wouldn't be on a high-speed chase in the middle of the night where any vampire within miles could easily hear his engine roaring.

Maybe Crow would have come with him if it hadn't been his night to stay home with the kids; at least then, he would have had backup. As it were, he was stuck miles from home with half a tank of gas and a bunch of defective equipment, pursuing one of the city's most elusive celebrities into what was, in all probability, a huge trap out in the middle of the woods.

Before the outbreak, the northernmost parts of Maiami's city limits had been a beautiful park with hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails through the towering forest, with cliffs overlooking the bay upon which the city was built. When the government had ceased funding the city, however, the park fell into ruin. Whichever trails weren't paved had quickly grown over with untamed flora, and the expansive woods had become a haven for the infected. What remained of the police force had once tried burning the trees to get rid of the huge vampire population, but all that accomplished was a huge surge of the monsters flooding back into the city. Nobody had dared to try that since.

That was the direction Akaba was heading, though, however dangerous it was, so Shun stayed on his tail. With any luck, he could make quick work of the guy – taking him alive was preferable, but not necessary – and just steal the car for the trip back into town. It would be safer than his motorcycle, anyway, and he could just have Crow give him a ride to pick up the bike sometime when the sun was up.

The brake lights on the car flashed to life, finally signaling a change. Shun released the throttle on his bike and followed closely after checking the traffic sign above. A voice in his head, sounding eerily like Yuto during one of his preachy rants, reminded him that he could always pull back and wait for another day, that surely the guy had to leave his home or his business some other time, and he could wait for any other opportunity – but another part of him argued back that this was turning into a _great_ opportunity.

Reiji Akaba wasn't heading into the heart of the woods, where the danger was highest. He was taking the exit that led to the cliffside trails, where the salty sea spray kept the woods from growing over.

He wasn't running away. He was leading him somewhere they would be alone.

The fact that he wasn't leading him to a nest of his own kind was the kind of weird-ass warning sign that Yuto would tell him to mind. Then again, Yuto had opted not to come, so Shun didn't have to follow his advice, did he?

So, Reiji Akaba's fleeing pattern made no sense. Maybe he was trying to get him alone, so he could take him for a meal without having to share?

Shun's mind raced with the possibilities, but he didn't dare stop his pursuit. Through the winding roads and rolling hills, he stayed on the car's trail, taking care not to slow too much around the corners. Even though the population wasn't dense, there had still been many vampire sightings in the area, and he couldn't afford to lose this chance due to being overly cautious.

Crow, his good friend and the only mechanic he'd ever trusted, had taught him to ride well enough that the course was easily navigable even at such a speed. In fact, on these roads, he was at an advantage compared to the bulky car; he was prepared for any twists or turns along the path.

But, he wasn't prepared for his engine to start sputtering, or for it to completely die just seconds later.

Shun cursed again, this time aloud, and quickly glanced at his surroundings. He rolled to a stop at the crest of the next hill, thankfully adjacent to a clearing, watching intently for any sign of movement near the few trees that sparsely decorated the hillside. Reiji Akaba and his car were long gone over the next hill by the time he dismounted.

He'd failed.

Shun hurled his helmet as far as he could, letting out a furious roar that would have earned him a worried glance from any of his friends if they had been present. But there were no friends here, no buildings to hide in, and no way to figure out why the hell his bike had died so suddenly.

_You need to replace the tank,_ a memory of Crow reminded him.  _You're fine for short trips, but if you start running hot, you're going to get air bubbles in the gas line._

Well, hopefully, the ghost of his mechanic friend was right. If it was just a pocket of air, he'd be able to restart his bike as soon as the engine cooled a bit.

"Ten minutes," Shun said aloud, to all the nothingness that surrounded him. "I've just got to survive for ten minutes."

He decided to retrieve his helmet to pass the time, after moving his bike a good distance from the road, just in case. Thankfully, the helmet had landed in the grass instead of on the pavement, so the only damage it had sustained was a rather large green smear across the visor. He wiped the grass stain on the sleeve of his riding jacket as he gave the area another quick scan, once again searching for any other signs of life.

Nothing.

At least one thing was going smoothly.

After some deliberation, he decided to scale the treeless hill. Being on higher ground would give him a good view of the surrounding area, and provide him with more room to maneuver if any vampires _did_ start flocking to the source of all the sound just moments before.

Once he reached the top of the hill, Shun's breath hitched. The view, as it turned out, faced perfectly southward. He could see for miles and miles, from the lights that yet glowed in pockets within the city, all the way out to the ring of government ships that had prevented any marine traffic for the last decade. Not often did Maiami look beautiful, but from his vantage point, he couldn't even think up the words to do it justice.

Another quick check confirmed that he was still alone, so he snapped a picture of the view with his phone, fully intent on showing Yuto what he'd missed. That would teach him for skipping out on an important hunt.

However, he didn't have the time to send the image to his friend before the faintest sound of a car engine came from the dark distance.

Reiji Akaba was coming back.

Shun pocketed his phone, placed his helmet on the ground, and unzipped his riding jacket, checking his extra weapons just in case. Yuto's bag was still on his bike, with the faulty gun inside, but Shun had his usual fare on his person – three daggers with silver in the blades, one strapped to each of his thighs and another on his waist, an assortment of bullets for the gun he _hadn't_ brought, an extra magazine for Yuto's useless, stupid gun (because they always carried ammo for each other, just in case), and a large, serrated machete opposite the waist-dagger.

Everything was in order, though he'd have preferred a usable firearm. He pulled out the largest of his available weaponry, the serrated blade, and waited.

Sure enough, moments later, the car slowly came to a stop, not ten meters away from where he'd parked his bike. Shun cursed himself, this time, for not considering the possibility that Akaba would come back.

The air grew thick with tension as he waited. After what seemed like a small eternity, both Reiji and his bodyguard exited the vehicle, their silhouettes all that he could make out with the distance between their locations.

"It seems you've broken down." Reiji didn't quite yell, but his voice carried the distance anyway. "I'll admit, I was expecting a more climactic ending to our chase."

"Are you disappointed?" Shun shot back, ensuring his grip on the machete handle was secure.

"Not especially."

Shun took a step towards them, but stopped short when the bodyguard's posture changed, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a magazine snapping into place. Strange, that a vampire would actually come prepared with a pistol; usually, they preferred not to taint their meals with the contaminants in bullets.

"Drop your weapon," the bodyguard ordered.

Begrudgingly, Shun let his blade fall to the ground. If they'd been in the city, with its stark lighting and many, many shadows, he'd have considered making a run for it. However, this far out, the moon and stars were more than bright enough to reveal his position without fail. That, in addition to vampires' heightened night vision, meant he was as good as dead if the bodyguard really wanted to shoot.

A sense of dread gnawed at him from deep in his stomach. Who would give Yuto the news of his death, he wondered, or would they ever find his remains? His phone would certainly give any authorities the GPS coordinates they would need to find him, but only a skeleton force remained in the city's police ranks, and they sure as hell weren't going to risk an officer's life on a mission to recover a body this far out.

Perhaps the worst part was that midnight hadn't yet come. Next year, would Yuto have to remember not only his lost fiancee's birthday, but her brother's death on the same day?

Before he could decide on a course of action, the bodyguard called out again. "Drop your other weapons on the ground. Now!"

Shun unfastened the sheathed daggers on his thighs, dropping them along with all the useless ammunition in his jacket pockets.

"There. Happy?" he called back.

"Put your hands on the back of your head and don't move!"

Shun locked his fingers together behind his head, doing as told. With any luck, with his cooperation, the vampires would fall into a false sense of security, and he'd be able to use the dagger yet hidden within his jacket when they got close enough. He shifted his weight from foot to foot to channel some of the anxiety that was building in his chest, hoping that he'd be able to focus well enough to escape with minimal injury. Yuto had been through too much for him to die here; another dead friend would probably kill the poor guy, so it was Shun's responsibility to live through this.

Strangely enough, the bodyguard stayed planted at the car with his arms and, consequently, his gun pointed directly at him. Slowly and deliberately, Reiji Akaba strode toward him, scaling the steep hill with an eerie amount of grace. Shun could feel the hair on his arms and neck standing on end when, finally, he could make out Reiji's facial features, hardly two meters from where he stood.

Even behind his thick-rimmed glasses, Reiji's eyes shone a violent shade of violet in the pale light, assuaging any remaining doubt that he was, in fact, a vampire. The unnatural iridescence was another telltale way to spot the infected in a crowd of humans; much like any other nocturnal creature, they were unable to hide their tapetal eyeshine in the dark.

Briefly, Shun wondered how Reiji had managed to keep the effect from showing in any of the hundreds of photos he'd found online. That curiosity faded as soon as he realized how _completely_ pissed off the guy looked.

"Tell me your name." Reiji's voice sounded downright deadly when he wasn't in front of a news crew.

"No," Shun replied anyway.

"Even if you're not carrying a license, do you honestly think I couldn't find documentation of your plates the instant we're done here? If you want to protect your friends or family, you'd do well to drop this nonsensical attitude of yours and simply answer my questions."

Shun struggled to stifle a growl when he realized the implications behind those words. "Kurosaki," he answered, quietly. "Shun Kurosaki."

"Where do you live, Shun Kurosaki?"

"In the Heartland District."

"That's a fairly run-down neighborhood, if memory serves." Reiji crossed his arms, not once breaking eye contact with his captive. "Assuming you're not lying, I'm not surprised that you have such a grudge against me. Heartland was beautiful before the outbreak."

"You're damn right it was." Shun returned Reiji's gaze, undaunted. "But then your family fucked it up. Thanks for that."

"You appear to be jumping to conclusions. My ties with my father were severed _long_ before he created this virus, Shun Kurosaki. In the time since, my mother and I have been using all of our resources to _fix_ the problems that he caused. Or do you not watch the news?"

"I know that you can pay the local stations to air whatever you want," Shun snapped back. "Your company still has monetary ties to the outside world – you have all the power that fame and fortune grant you, so you use it to terrorize the humans stuck in here with you!"

"You are mistaken." Reiji's expression somehow grew even _more_ somber. "I assure you, my intent has never been to terrorize anyone or anything. That being said, I would appreciate it if you would return the favor."

Shun didn't know whether to laugh or scream with rage. Fuming, he dropped his hands to his side, balling his fists. "Just like that? Do you honestly think you can just walk up to me and ask me to forget everything that's happened because of you and your father? Do you think I'll just let you go?"

"Put your hands back on your head!" the bodyguard shouted from down near the car.

Reiji finally averted his gaze, waving down to the man. "Stand down, Nakajima," he called.

"Are you certain, sir?"

"Everything is fine."

Apparently satisfied, the bodyguard – Nakajima, or so he'd been called – lowered his weapon.

Reiji turned to Shun once more, his expression only slightly different. He appeared to be considerably less furious, at least, so Shun took it as a sign that he would soon be able to strike. "Despite what I've said, I have no intention of hurting you or anyone you know. Believe me, I understand the heinous nature of my father's crimes, and I would honestly like to give you my condolences for whatever has caused you such tremendous grief."

"What grief?" Shun snapped back, his incredulous laugh sounding more like a raspy bark. "What could you possibly think you know about me?!"

"I know that you probably weren't expecting a reward for any of this. People will kill for money – but they won't die for it. You followed me, alone, out into an obvious trap where nobody could possibly come to help you. You would throw yourself away if it meant exposing me for what I am, no matter how many hundreds or thousands of infected dwell within our city." Reiji regarded him with a hint of curiosity in his expression, but his tone remained even and calm. "Whatever caused such a level of detachment, of disregard for your own self-preservation, had to have been traumatic. Forgive me if I'm wrong."

Shun couldn't come up with a suitable response. Perhaps even more furious, he set his jaw and pursed his lips, fixing Reiji with a glare in hopes that it would hide any weakness from the sudden, stabbing pain in his chest – the same he felt every time he remembered how much blood had been in the stairwell and hallway, no matter how many times it had been cleaned; every time he remembered how much Ruri had smiled, how much she loved her friends, how selfless and _great_ she was in every way; every time he came home to find Yuto all puffy-eyed and exhausted from sobbing his eyes out over and over and over again over the loss of his family and, in the end, the only girl he'd ever loved – the girl he was going to _marry_.

How could he possibly accept _condolences_ for the damnation of an entire city and every person who lived within?

Reiji seemed to sense the slight change in the atmosphere and stepped toward Shun, his gaze unyielding. "You have every right to hate me," he spoke, "but I will ask you this anyway. Even if you do not forgive me for being what I am, please understand that none of the residents of this city asked for any of this – even the infected. The selfishness of one man, Leo Akaba, is what caused all of this. All the sorrows faced by the humans, all the terror the infected must live with during every waking moment of their existence – do not blame any of it on anyone but that man."

Something in Shun snapped. "Even if you say that, you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself," he all but hissed. "Are you saying that I should just let you walk away from here alive? Look at what you are!"

Reiji closed his eyes and heaved a sigh.

That was all the time Shun needed. Before the bodyguard at the car could react, he sprang forward, brandishing his last dagger in one fluid motion.

Reiji, though obviously startled, dodged as easily as he'd scaled the steep hill.

Enraged, Shun swung at him again, and upon a second failure, _again._

After several minutes of failed attempts, of swinging his blade at Reiji again and again and again, Shun fell to his knees, exhausted beyond anything he had ever felt before. In the years before this, he had run for miles on end, fought tooth and nail to survive this awful plague, and yet here he was, one on one with an unarmed monster that wasn't even fighting back, and he couldn't land a single hit. He wanted to scream and lunge at Reiji until he'd expended every ounce of his strength, but his limbs had grown heavy with a weariness that, all things considered, had been a long time coming. As he panted, hands splayed across the grass, his anger dissipated and was replaced with every ounce of the sorrow he hadn't let himself feel all day.

_I am not going to lose it in front of Reiji Akaba._

Shun shouted wordlessly and punched the ground until his wrists wouldn't support his weight anymore. Completely and utterly defeated, he flopped onto the cold, damp grass, rolling onto his back so that he could gulp air into his lungs, his chest heaving with every labored breath he took. Several moments passed before Reiji Akaba, millionaire, vampire, and currently his nemesis, sank to his knees by his side.

"My father was working with foreign agencies in hopes of finding a way to reverse brain death when he caused all of this." Reiji was no longer looking at him, and was instead gazing up at the moon, as if to give him his privacy. "That, in itself, was a selfishness that he never should have pursued. He knew it was a foolish desire, but it is said that... the loss of a child could drive the most logical person to insanity. I suppose he was on the verge of collapse when his first wife died, if what my mother has told me is true. Ray was what kept him going before they met."

Shun tried not to listen, he really, truly did, but Reiji's words were the only sound in the still night air, other than his own breathing.

"I never got to meet Ray," he continued. "My mother was seven months pregnant with me when she started having early contractions, so Father was rushing her to the hospital. Along the way, a driver lost control somehow, and our car was struck by a much larger vehicle. If my mother had been in the front seat, it would have been her – and me – that didn't make it.

"Father woke from his coma to find his fourteen-year-old daughter barely clinging to life, and the hospital staff tried to convince him to pull the plug. In the end, he couldn't let her go. Ray was essentially killed by that driver on the day I was born, but my father could not bring himself to do what needed to be done. He spent every day of every year thereafter locked away from the world, consumed by his sorrow, trying to find some way to revive her. That sorrow is what led him to... non-conventional methods of research, which in turn led to the creation of this disease.

"Not that his motivations matter... The patients who broke out of confinement and caused the outbreak were not volunteers. After going off the deep end, Father was experimenting on normal people, and they only escaped to free themselves from the hell their lives had become. They had been tortured for months in captivity, in order for the researchers to monitor the effects of what was, essentially, a virus that hadn't seen the light of day for centuries. The regenerative capabilities of the host bodies, the mutations you've seen – our eyes, our teeth? The creatures you call vampires are just humans who didn't have a choice in becoming what they are now."

Shun was well aware that the original infected had been imprisoned against their will – there wasn't a soul in Maiami who didn't know that. However, the news that the infamous Leo Akaba, the man who effectively sentenced hundreds of thousands of people to their doom, had been researching a way to save his daughter?

That was information that had never been released to the public. As far as anyone knew, Reiji was his only child. So why had the Akaba family never come forth with this information, and why had they never once tried to defend Leo in his ambitions? Were Reiji and his father so truly estranged that the heir to the Leo Corporation fortune would not offer even an ounce of compassion to his own flesh and blood? Something wasn't adding up, and Shun was growing more and more uncomfortable as Reiji continued to speak.

"After discovering the anti-aging effect the virus had on the human body, my father injected himself with the serum willingly, likely in order to continue his research without falling prey to his age. Shortly thereafter, his methods were revealed to the public, and he disappeared, leaving the Japanese government on a fierce manhunt – not to hold him accountable for what he'd done, but to use his research for advanced bioweaponry.

"However, as the city grew unstable under the growing numbers of the infected, the government pulled most of its personnel and resources from within the quarantine zone, called the mission a failure, and my mother was left to devote herself to controlling the growing population of infected. Ever since, we've been saving those we can from becoming bloodthirsty monsters."

"Can you just kill me and get this over with?" Shun interrupted, still sprawled out on his back. The more Reiji talked, the less he understood, and the more his skin crawled with the same building anxiety from before. "I don't really care about your life story. It's not going to change anything, is it? We both know you're not letting me leave here alive."

"I already said that I don't want to hurt you." Reiji finally broke his intense skyward gaze, regarding Shun with the same bored expression that he always wore during recorded interviews. "I'm sure you're aware of what I was doing in that alleyway back in town. Do you honestly think I'd make a meal out of you after going through all the trouble?"

"I don't know what you were doing, but that nurse looked ready to piss himself. I still can't figure out why you let him go."

"Oh." Reiji stood back up before answering, looking the slightest bit... disappointed? "I was certain you'd been tracking me for a while."

Shun clambered to his feet as well and tried to brush the damp grass off of his clothing. Fruitless in his endeavors, he gave up, fixing Reiji with his most annoyed stare. "No, I put two and two together when I noticed your last interview was shot at night," he explained. "Your team failed to crop out one of the floodlights they keep at the borders. It wasn't hard to figure out after that. No sane human would be out at that time."

"And yet, here _you_ are." Was Reiji was _mocking_ him?

As anger once again prickled up his spine, Shun balled his fists. "I know how to take care of myself after dark," he shot back. He pointed at the pile of weapons on the ground to reiterate that fact. "I've been hunting your kind for _years_ in order to protect those of us who can't fight back _._ It won't be long before the humans in this city can live without fear again!"

"That, Shun Kurosaki, is an ideal for which we both strive." Reiji crossed his arms again, all traces of amusement gone from his expression. "The scene you happened across earlier, before you so rudely shot my _very human_ employee over there?"

As bad as that last bit of information made him feel, Shun tried not to let it distract him from the conversation. He owed Reiji Akaba no apologies yet, so he wasn't about to start, especially if he couldn't confirm the legitimacy of those words. "What about it?"

"I purchased blood samples from a rehabilitation clinic," he explained. "After they've run the necessary tests for their patients, extra samples are donated to Leo Corporation as a resource for its medical research."

"Which is why you were drinking them?"

"It's a front, of course," Reiji admitted, "but it is helping Maiami recover."

"You mean, helping _you_ recover?"

"In this particular instance, yes. But we do collect samples to benefit the rest of the population, I assure you."

"That sounds like a load of crap to me."

Despite his unreadable expression, Reiji couldn't hide the tiniest hint of annoyance that came through in his voice. "Tell me: do you know how the virus is spread?"

"Is that a trick question? Vampires bite humans. And _what_ does that have to do with anything?"

In response, Reiji took a step closer to him and, after straightening his glasses, held up one of his neatly-manicured hands with a single finger extended. "There are multiple stages of infection," he said, "but only one way to infect a human with the virus. Let me ask you again – do you know what that is?"

"Biting," Shun answered, again, trying his best to maintain his composure as Reiji stepped closer and closer.

"Not exactly." Reiji opened his mouth, exposing his fangs. Shun couldn't help but tense, seeing the way they gleamed by the light of the moon – it was a sight he'd seen many times, just before Yuto or Crow had swept in to help out. He was lucky to be alive after seeing so many during the last few years of his life, but Reiji didn't seem to notice (or mind) his discomfort and brought his hand to his mouth. Using the index finger that was still extended, he touched one of the sharp, unnatural teeth that had grown in place of his cuspids. "Many snakes do not have fangs that inject venom into their prey. Nor do we. The bite isn't what causes the spread of the virus."

"What are you getting at?"

Reiji curled his finger behind the fang and pulled it outward. While there was no visible change in the position of the tooth, a steady stream of dark liquid began pouring down Reiji's hand after a few seconds, trailing from his fingertip to his palm, where it amassed in a glistening pool. After several moments, Reiji withdrew his hand and let the liquid drip into the grass below.

"When snakes lash out, their fangs sink into their prey, and venom makes its way into the prey's bloodstream via specialized venom ducts," he explained. "However, we are... still human. While we have undergone some physical mutations, we haven't grown venom glands, or claws, or any such nonsense. Instead, when enough outward pressure is applied to our fangs, as you just saw... we bleed. The blood vessels that grow into our teeth tear open beneath the root, and the blood flows down from there, where it enters the bloodstream of the victim."

"That's disgusting."

"I agree." As if to prove himself, Reiji spat – and while Shun didn't care to observe very closely, the droplets on Reiji's lips were dark enough for him to surmise that he was still bleeding. "My point is that this is a blood-borne disease, spread only by contact with the bodily fluids of the infected. This is relevant because, in order for a human to turn into what you call a vampire, they have to remain healthy enough to survive the initial stages of infection – usually after they are attacked and used as a source of food. It takes nearly thirty days after the bite for victims to get past the most debilitating effects of the initial infection – an entire month of acute fever and other symptoms that, in many cases, kill the victim before they even mutate."

"So?"

"So, wouldn't it be safe to say, considering the number of people that _haven't_ died after these feeding encounters, that most of us really aren't out to hurt our victims? Otherwise, they'd all be dead instead of turned."

Shun wanted to argue, but upon watching a thin trail of Reiji's blood pour over his bottom lip, he simply could not find the words. Following that logic, his words did have a certain truth to them. What could he possibly say to argue against that?

"Furthermore," Reiji continued, "while most wounds sustained by those of us who have fully turned _do_ heal at an accelerated rate, the blood channels in our mouth will not, and exsanguination lasts upwards of days, sometimes even weeks, after an infected decides to bite. It is painful and draining, and only causes the need to consume more blood to replenish our energy. I'm not sure if you've ever donated, but the effects are similar to those experienced when a normal human loses at least half a liter of blood. Dizziness, nausea, blackouts – except for days, until the wounds heal."

"Then why did you do that to yourself just now?"

Reiji licked his lips, apparently noticing the trail of his own blood for the first time. "To prove a point," he answered, as if Shun should already have been aware of that. "Inflicting others with this sickness comes at a cost that most of us would rather avoid. Now you've seen that for yourself."

"Then why do so many of you freaks attack anything that moves after dark?!" Shun demanded, quickly tiring of the conversation. "I've seen too many attacks to believe any of your sugar-coated excuses!"

"Do you know the stages of infection?" Reiji retorted, his voice as even as ever.

"Stop asking me all these stupid questions and just answer me!"

"I'm asking because it's important, in order for us to reach a common ground. We cannot move forward here until you fully understand my intentions. If you refuse that much, I cannot stay true to my promise that you will leave this place alive."

"Then kill me and get it over with. I'm tired of this!"

Reiji gave Shun an incredulous look, his eyebrows hidden far above the jagged line of his fringe. "You would rather die than settle on any other option? Do you not want peace for the people of Maiami?"

"I want you to shut up," Shun answered, flatly. "You talk too much."

"This doesn't have to be the end of your life. I'm trying to be reasonable."

"My life may as well have ended when your kind took my family away from me." Shun clenched his teeth until his jaw ached, but he did not stop glowering until Reiji, always fixing him with that unnerving gaze, turned away.

"So you followed me... because you're too much of a coward to call it quits by your own power? You misunderstand if you think I'm here to perform any acts of mercy. Though, if I do have to kill you, rest assured that I will drain you of _every bit_ of your blood, so that at least your death won't be in vain."

Shun refused to back down, despite the new sense of alarm that was ringing through his mind.

"Perhaps I'll gift it to the newest member of my financial advisory council. I mean, the poor man didn't even know he'd contracted the virus. He collapsed on his way home from work one evening – an epileptic seizure, it turns out – and wasn't even aware that he'd been made a meal for a passing _vampire_ while he was unconscious _._

 _"_ Maybe he could even share your blood with his wife," Reiji continued, as if issuing threats of this nature were as natural to him as any other conversation. "Everyone at Leo Corporation knew they'd spent thousands on fertility treatments, trying to conceive despite the odds – now all for naught, you see, because those who've survived the infection are completely sterile. They're trying to make it through all of this as best they can, but coming to terms with it has been especially hard for my employee, who now harbors the guilt of passing the virus to his beloved wife and destroying the one dream that's kept her going through this decade of terror and confusion."

Reiji didn't so much as blink as he stood there, apparently waiting for some sort of reaction.

Shun still didn't know what to do or say, so he settled for the first thing that crossed his mind. "I guess that would be a good cause," he agreed, instantly hating himself a little more for saying so.

Reiji almost smiled. Somehow. "My only wish is to restore as much peace and normalcy to the lives of the people within this city. Those who have been infected deserve to live just as much as those who have not," he said, this time without the aggressive tone behind his words.

"Leo Corporation gathers blood for research as a front to feed the hundreds of infected we've employed. I have approached so many innocent people from all different walks of life who share the same desire – for things to go back to normal, or as normal as they can be. I take them in, I give them duties to perform, I pay them, and above all else, I ensure that they will always, _always_ , have an ethical source of the sustenance they now require. As a result, they don't have to search out straggling humans to feed on at night, and most of them can continue safely living with their families without fear of hurting them as well.

"The other ninety percent of my employees aren't even aware that they're working with the infected. There have been no attacks, no casualties of any sort. Of course, the risk isn't a perfect zero – but since when has that _ever_ been possible? How many people have worked side-by-side with mass murderers without any prior knowledge? What I mean to say is that we can all coexist as long as we help these victims before the disease tears them apart."

Despite everything, Shun couldn't ignore the tiniest spark of hope that fluttered in his chest at the mention of a brighter future. For years, the city had nothing to look forward to, save for the eventual turning or death of every person within its borders. The very real threat of the government just bombing the place had always been at the forefront of every citizen's mind. However, if there was a way to live peacefully, even with the city shut off from the rest of the world – wouldn't that be the best thing to work toward? "Are you really telling me the truth right now?" he asked. "Do you guys really do all of that?"

"If you want to see for yourself, I will introduce you to some of my staff, and you can ask them whatever you would like without fear of retribution. You can do that before you decide whether you'll let me go or not."

Shun blinked. Had he heard that right?

The smallest hint of a smirk on Reiji's face confirmed it.

"You don't have to patronize me."

"Oh, but you're the one with the weapons," Reiji insisted. "You'd best gather them all before we head back into town. There's no telling who – or what – will stumble across this hill before you can make it back out here. Anyway, you'll need them if you decide that I'm not being completely honest with you."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. Though, I do have to insist that you ride with me back into town. I'm afraid Nakajima needs medical treatment, since you've gone and shot him, so we really shouldn't waste any more time. I will send someone to pick up your bike later."

Shun didn't really know what to do other than comply.

 


End file.
